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SEOUL, Aug. 12 (Yonhap) -- North Korea fired at least one ballistic missile toward the East Sea on Wednesday, South Korea's military said, in a move seen as a protest against an upcoming combined military exercise between the South and the United States.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected the missile launched from the Wonsan area on the east coast at around 6 a.m.

The JCS said it has stepped up surveillance and vigilance against possible additional launches.

"South Korea, the U.S. and Japan maintain a full readiness posture by closely sharing information regarding North Korea's ballistic missile launch," it said.

The latest launch came six days after the North fired what the South's military has identified as a short-range missile toward the East Sea last Thursday.

The missile launches came as South Korea and the U.S. are set to begin their key annual combined exercise next week.

Pyongyang has strongly denounced the allies' drills as war rehearsals and conducted its own weapons tests during the training period in a show of protest.

elly@yna.co.kr

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